Dr. Jim Miner has been selected to be Hennepin County Medical Center’s (HCMC) new Chief of Emergency Medicine. He takes over duties from retiring Chief Dr. Joseph Clinton, who recently stepped down after serving in the position for more than 21 years.

“I’m honored and excited to be chosen for the role of chief of Emergency Medicine,” said Dr. Miner. “It’s a big job with a lot of challenges, but I feel really confident and enthusiastic about where is department is headed and our ability to adapt to the future.”

After graduating from East High School in Duluth, Minnesota, Dr. Miner earned his medical degree from Mayo Medical School in Rochester, completed his residency in Emergency Medicine at HCMC, and joined HCMC’s Emergency Department staff in 1999. He is a Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School, is board certified in Emergency Medicine and has been serving as the Research Director in the department and as HCMC’s Associate Medical Director for Physician Development.

HCMC is a national leader in Emergency Medicine with a history of providing state-of-the-art care and outstanding teaching. Dr. Miner is committed to keeping HCMC at the cutting edge of clinical practice, research and education.

“We want to continue to expand our department’s role in providing the best care possible to our patients, and in keeping them at the center of our focus,” he explains. “We also want to build on our current research efforts to continue to advance the science of Emergency Medicine.”

Dr. Miner’s many interests include research in the areas of pain management and procedural sedation in the Emergency Department, as well as the effects of poverty on patients.

Even when he can, Dr. Miner rarely slows down. He’s an avid cross-country skier and coach for the Minnesota Youth Ski League, and all three of his children play hockey. During the winter months, Dr. Miner and his wife, Stephanie, often spend time driving from one sports event to another.

“I guess I enjoy keeping a fast pace,” he explains, “wearing skis just makes it more fun.”

Throughout 2014, HCMC is celebrating its 25th year as Minnesota’s first Level I Trauma Center. A comprehensive academic medical center and public teaching hospital with the largest emergency department in the state, HCMC offers a full spectrum of inpatient and outpatient care. In addition to the 462-bed acute care hospital and primary care and specialty clinics located in downtown Minneapolis, HCMC offers primary care clinics in Minneapolis and suburban Hennepin County.